Tigra

I paced in my room, Alex had yet to return from his mission that he left on about three weeks ago, he always completed his missions quickly. I stopped, gazing out of my bedroom window, I couldn’t shake this feeling that something bad had happened to him.

“Alex, where are you?” I asked myself the question aloud, hoping that perhaps someone would answer it for me, perhaps even him, sending me a message on the wind.

I could remember the promise I made him make, that he would come back to me safe and sound, that promise now seemed like a childish echo from the past. There was no safe and sound when it came to this senseless destruction the darkness Alex talked about caused.

There came a knock at the door. I looked over to it and it slowly opened. “You asked for me, your highness.” It was Amora. I had asked her to meet me in my room; I wanted to know if she had heard anything from Alex. She closed the door behind her.

“Have you heard anything from him?” I asked urgently.

“No,” she shook her head sadly. I wanted to cry. “But I am certain that he is alive.”

“How can you be so sure?” I wanted to shout, but I kept my quivering voice filled with worry stable. “He’s never this late back from a mission, it should have taken at least a week and a half, that’s what he said.”

“I know,” she smiled briefly. “You’ve been friends for so long I understand your concern.”

I sat down on my bed, thinking. What if something had really happened to him, I would never see him again. I felt my chest tighten I could not bear the thought. “Tigra.” She came to sit next to me. I looked at her. “Do you perhaps feel more than friendship for my son?”

I was surprised by the question. “How can you ask that?” I wondered. “I am the princess of Cathopia. I could never fall for someone in the lower classes, especially someone like him.” I turned away from her, denying this strong emotion that had been growing stronger. “I fear I’ll have no choice eventually and I’ll end up betrothed to Dumah.” The thought made me shiver.

“But you do not love him, and Alex often tells me about your defiance against him,” she said.

“Soon enough I’ll have no choice,” I repeated, how much longer could my father resist the dark influence even with the return of Yamato. I gulped, thinking perhaps asking her here was not such a good idea.

“Tigra,” I glanced back at her. “Inside you feel lost without him, a deep longing that you’ve never felt for anyone else, a connection that whenever you see him, you’re overwhelmed with emotion you thought you could never feel.” My eyes widened as she described the emotions I had been feeling. “You love him, don’t you Tigra.”

It all made sense now. I turned to her. “Yes.” I cried, tears streaming from my face.

“There, there,” she pulled me closer, giving me a hug. “He’ll come back; you’ll see.” I did not hold the same hope she did, if Dumah had his way, Alex would have been dead during the knight’s test.

Another few days passed, and the feeling of loss and doubt crept in further. I had lost him forever and he would never know the feelings I held for him; I would never get to tell him.

It was the middle of the night as I struggled to sleep, thoughts of our times together plaguing my mind. Will I ever see you again? I cried to myself. I could hardly bear this existence without him. You promised me, that you would become my Guardian. Then there was a knock at my door. I sat up a little confused, no one disturbed me this late at night.

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“Come in,” I said.

“Sorry to wake you,” It was Zack, he bowed.

“What is it?” I questioned.

“Fang has returned,” he answered.

“What?” I jumped straight from my bed, speeding over to him. “Please take me to him.”

He nodded, but hesitated. “Before we go, I must tell you he is very weak. I myself am surprised he made it back here at all with the injuries he has sustained.”

“What happened?” I asked, so worried I could barely contain my emotions.

“We are uncertain, but I believe he and his unit were ambushed,” began Zack. “As only he and Lin have returned.” I put my hand over my mouth shocked. I could see all their faces laughing and having a joke with their new captain Fang.

“No.” Just hearing that I wondered how hurt Alex was. “Please take me to him Zack.”

“Of course,” he nodded, and we headed off.

Alex had been put in a private wing in the royal infirmary. According to Zack my mother had ordered him to be put there, so he would be safe, just in case the ones who had attacked wanted to finish the job.

Zack stopped outside a door, and slowly opened it. “Again, he is very weak, it could be some time before he wakes, if he even does.”

“Thank you, Zack,” I smiled briefly. “Please stay outside. I only trust you with his protection.”

“I understand,” he nodded as I walked in, and he closed the door behind me.

I walked over to the bed he was lying in. I could already sense his weakened strength he hardly had any. His breathing was heavy as he struggled for breath. I went closer, reaching out for his hand. I noticed his arm was covered in burns and cuts, and I suspected the rest of his body was too.

“Alex,” I said his name, hoping he would stir, but nothing.

I stayed with him for the rest of the night, afraid if I left him, I would lose him all over again.

The next morning mother came in to see him.

“Tigra,” she smiled when she saw me.

“Mum,” I went straight over to her and gave her a hug. “Do you think he’ll make it?”

“Fang is a strong warrior,” began mum. “He may have a tough fight ahead of him, but the outcome of it all is up to him.”

I nodded, then remembered Lin. “What about Lin, how is she doing?”

“The knights said he was carrying her, such determination to get home,” mentioned mum. “She is doing okay, not as badly injured as Alex.”

I looked over at him, the heart break he must have felt leaving the others behind. I then realised that Mila and Larana were missing. “Where are Mila, Larana, Raziel and Arata?”

“Unfortunately, they did not come out from the battle without damage either,” answered mum.

“What?” I was surprised, could talismans even get hurt?

“They are the ones that saved his life,” informed mum. “It appears during a last attack; they took the damage instead of Alex.”

“They protected him” I glanced back at Alex. I would need to thank them later, but then I thought. Looking back at mum. “If he was so injured, how did he get back home?”

“We don’t know, but the knight who was on duty heard him saying the words. I have to keep my promise.” She smiled at me. “He made it back for you.”

“Alex,” Injured and carrying an injured friend had walked home, just to keep my promise.

“Tigra, I leave his care to you.” I nodded to her words. I would make him well again. I would do anything to see that smile on his face, to hear his voice, to tell him I loved him.

I spent the next few days by his side, seeing the worst of his wounds when a nurse came to change his bandages. Zack was right, how did he make it back? Who had been the ones to attack him? I wanted to know all the answers to my own questions, but while he was still like this no one would know.

The healing of his wounds was slow without Mila, but his breathing had become normal, and I could tell he was slowly improving. “Hang in there Alex, come back to me.”

It had been two weeks since he had returned home, and he had yet to waken. I spent as much time with him as I could, but I had to be careful, I didn’t want Dumah to find him here, while he was still weak.

While watching his gentle breathing, waiting for the evening to come, before I headed back to my room to sleep. I had been working so hard to help him get better, worrying so deeply that sleep was hard for me to grasp. I guess I was so tired I had already fallen asleep with my head on his bed.